POLYCULTURE is agriculture using multiple crops in the same space,
providing crop diversity in imitation of the diversity of natural
ecosystems, and avoiding large stands of single crops, or monoculture
. It includes multi-cropping , intercropping , companion planting ,
beneficial weeds , and alley cropping . It is the raising at the same
time and place of more than one species of plant or animal.
PolyculturePolyculture is one of the principles of permaculture .

CONTENTS

* 1 Advantages
* 2 See also
* 3 References
* 4 External links

ADVANTAGES

Polyculture, though it often requires more labor, has two main
advantages over monoculture.

PolyculturePolyculture reduces susceptibility to disease. For example, a study
in
ChinaChina showed that planting several varieties of rice in the same
field increased yields by 89%, largely because of a dramatic (94%)
decrease in the incidence of disease, which made pesticides redundant.

PolyculturePolyculture increases local biodiversity . This is one example of
reconciliation ecology , or accommodating biodiversity within human
landscapes. This may also form part of a biological pest control
program.